Klay Thompson
Klay Alexander Thompson was born on the 8th of February 1990 in Los Angeles to Julie and Mychal Thompson. His father became the first overall pick of the 1978 NBA draft while his mother played volleyball for the University of Portland and the University of San Francisco. When Thompson turned two years old, his family moved to Lake Oswego, Oregon where he grew up as a Catholic with Bahamian ancestry through his grandfather. He spent his childhood playing Little League baseball alongside future NBA star Kevin Love who would become his close friend during those formative years.
The family relocated again when Thompson reached age fourteen moving to Ladera Ranch, California. He graduated from Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita in 2008 after averaging twenty-one points per game during his senior season. That year he led his team to a thirty-five record and a Division III State Championship appearance where he set a state finals record by making seven three-pointers in a single game. Thompson earned Division III State player of the year honors along with League MVP and first-team Best in the West selections.
Thompson started all thirty-three games as a freshman for Tony Bennett at Washington State University leading his team in three-point field goal percentage and free throw percentage. He averaged twelve point five points per game that season earning Pac-10 All-Freshman Team recognition and Collegehoops.net All-Freshman Honorable Mention Team status. His sophomore campaign saw him lead the Cougars to the Great Alaska Shootout Championship while scoring a tournament single-game record of forty-three points in their championship victory.
He became the third fastest Cougar to reach one thousand points before being named to the All-Pac-10 First Team. Thompson finished his junior season leading the Pac-10 in scoring with seven hundred thirty-three total points setting WSU's single-season scoring record. He became just the third Cougar to win first-team all-district honors from the National Association of Basketball Coaches twice in his career. On the 18th of January 2020, Washington State retired the number eleven jersey he wore during his college years making him only the second WSU men's basketball player to receive this honor.
Warriors general manager Larry Riley selected Thompson eleventh overall in the 2011 NBA draft after his junior season declaring for the league following his time at Washington State. The pick prompted speculation about trading starter Monta Ellis which did not occur until March 2012 when the Warriors traded Ellis to the Milwaukee Bucks. Thompson improved rapidly over four games following his exclusion from the 2012 NBA All-Star Weekend Rising Stars Challenge showing increased points per game and shooting percentage improvements across all statistical categories.
On the 29th of January 2013, Thompson scored a season-high thirty-two points against the Cleveland Cavaliers while coach Mark Jackson stated that Thompson and Stephen Curry formed the best shooting duo in NBA history. That season they combined to make four hundred eighty-three three-pointers setting an NBA record for most ever by a duo at the time. In the following season they broke their own record with five hundred twenty-five combined threes before shattering it again in the 2015, 16 season with six hundred seventy-eight total makes earning them the nickname "the Splash Brothers".
Thompson helped lead the Warriors to their first NBA championship since 1975 on the 7th of June 2015, defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers in six games ending a forty-year drought for the franchise. He scored a playoff career-high thirty-four points in Game 2 of those Finals despite losing ninety-five to ninety-three in overtime. The following season the Warriors won a record seventy-three games before losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games during the 2016 NBA Finals.
They avenged that loss by winning two more titles in 2017 and 2018 while reaching their fifth straight Finals in 2019 where Thompson suffered a torn ACL late in the series. After missing over two and a half years due to injury he returned in the middle of the 2021, 22 season to win his fourth title. During these dynasty years Thompson became known as "Game 6 Klay" because his shooting splits rose significantly compared to usual playoff statistics specifically in elimination games.
On the 1st of July 2019, Thompson agreed to stay with the Warriors on a five-year one hundred ninety million dollar maximum contract after undergoing successful knee surgery on his torn ACL the next day. He missed the entire 2019, 20 season before officially re-signing with the team on July 10. On November 19, it was announced that Thompson would miss the entire 2020, 21 season due to an Achilles tendon injury which he suffered in a pickup game in Los Angeles.
Thompson returned to practice with the Warriors in September 2020 before being assigned to the Santa Cruz Warriors for rehab purposes on the 28th of November 2021 alongside James Wiseman. He made his return to the court on the 9th of January 2022 against the Cleveland Cavaliers scoring seventeen points on seven-of-eighteen shooting in twenty minutes. This comeback led directly to his fourth championship victory where he joined Stephen Curry and LeBron James as the only players in NBA history to make at least one hundred three-pointers on the championship stage.
On the 23rd of January 2015, Thompson scored a career-high fifty-two points including eleven three-pointers in a one hundred twenty-six to one hundred one victory over the Sacramento Kings. In the third quarter of that game he scored an NBA-record thirty-seven points going thirteen-for-thirteen from the field including nine three-pointers. His thirteen field goals tied David Thompson's record for a single quarter while also setting a league record for most three-pointers made in any quarter.
He hit an NBA-record fourteen threes on the 29th of October 2018 against the Chicago Bulls scoring fifty-two points in twenty-seven minutes while making fourteen-of-twenty-four of his threes. Thompson became the first player in NBA history to score sixty points in less than thirty minutes of action during a one hundred forty-two to one hundred six victory over the Indiana Pacers on the 5th of December 2016. He holds multiple records including most games with twelve or more three-pointers in a season and has surpassed teammates like Stephen Curry in several categories.
Thompson was a member of the United States national team winning gold medals on their 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup and 2016 Olympic teams. He also won gold on the Under-19 national team at the 2009 FIBA Under-19 World Championship establishing himself as a key contributor on international stages early in his career. These victories added to his growing list of achievements alongside his professional accomplishments with the Warriors.
His performance on these global stages demonstrated his ability to compete against elite international competition while maintaining his reputation as one of the best three-point shooters of all time. The success of these teams reflected both individual brilliance and collective teamwork that defined much of his playing style throughout his entire career spanning over a decade in the league.
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Common questions
When was Klay Thompson born and where did he grow up?
Klay Alexander Thompson was born on the 8th of February 1990 in Los Angeles. He grew up in Lake Oswego, Oregon after his family moved there when he turned two years old.
What college team did Klay Thompson play for before joining the NBA?
Klay Thompson played for Washington State University under coach Tony Bennett. His number eleven jersey became the second men's basketball jersey retired by Washington State on the 18th of January 2020.
How many championships has Klay Thompson won with the Golden State Warriors?
Klay Thompson has won four NBA championships with the Golden State Warriors in 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2022. He joined Stephen Curry and LeBron James as one of only three players to make at least one hundred three-pointers on the championship stage.
What specific records does Klay Thompson hold regarding three-point shooting?
Klay Thompson holds an NBA record for scoring thirty-seven points in a single quarter while making thirteen field goals. He also set a league record for most three-pointers made in any quarter during that same game against the Sacramento Kings on the 23rd of January 2015.
When did Klay Thompson sign his five-year contract with the Golden State Warriors?
Klay Thompson agreed to stay with the Warriors on a five-year one hundred ninety million dollar maximum contract on the 1st of July 2019. He officially re-signed with the team on July 10 after missing the entire 2019, 20 season due to injury.